A national symposium at the University of Colorado at Boulder featuring appearances by high-profile musicians, performers and composers will explore the medical, therapeutic and spiritual benefits of music on human health and society.
"Music and Health in America" will take place June 28 through June 30 in the Imig Music Building at 18th Street and Euclid Avenue on the CU-Boulder campus and at other Boulder venues.
By bringing together luminaries from the fields of music and medicine, event planners hope to engage the public in an ongoing conversation about the role music plays in people's day-to-day lives and its impact on their health.
"This will be an unprecedented opportunity for public school educators, amateur and professional musicians, scholars and anyone else who loves music and cares to examine how it shapes, influences and inspires us as groups and as individuals," said Professor Thomas Riis, director of CU-Boulder's American Music Research Center, which is sponsoring the event.
Featured participants will include composer and singer Ysaye M. Barnwell, a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning, African-American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, and composer, accordionist and "Deep Listening" pioneer Pauline Oliveros. Denver Spirituals Project founder Arthur Jones, noted "Mozart Effect" author and educator Don Campbell and "sound healer" Jonathan Goldman also are among the featured guests.
Other participants at this year's multidisciplinary symposium will include singers, instrumentalists, health-care professionals, spiritual leaders, teachers, historians and ethnomusicologists. Many will meet each other for the first time to exchange ideas and discuss their latest research.
Barnwell will present an interactive workshop called "Building a Vocal Community," drawing from her research and traditional music from African-American calls, chants, spirituals, gospels, protest music and contemporary songs.
Campbell, Goldman, Pat Moffitt Cook, Barbara J. Crowe, Toby Tenenbaum, Ron Minson, Marianne Wamboldt and other respected authors and researchers will lead panel discussions and workshops on topics that will touch on music therapies, cross-cultural musical healing, social activism, Native American healing, and emotional and spiritual health for music educators.
Performances will include blues and a cappella concerts and the second annual Great American Sing-Along, a free event that encourages the audience to sing jazz standards and Broadway favorites.
A joint venture of the CU-Boulder library system and College of Music, the American Music Research Center maintains one of the nation's premier music archives and sponsors annual concerts and scholarly events. Other event supporters include the CU President's Office, the Center for Arts and Humanities, CU Health Sciences Center faculty and several Boulder businesses.
For all daytime and some evening symposium activities admission will be priced at $125 per day or $300 for all three days.
For a complete schedule of topics, events and sponsors call (303) 735-0237 for a brochure or go to ucblibraries.colorado.edu/amrc/musichealth2007. For more information about the CU-Boulder College of Music and the American Music Research Center, visit and ucblibraries.colorado.edu/amrc/.